How Computers Work
You Will Learn
That a computer requires both hardware and
software to work About the many different hardware components inside and connected to a computer How the CPU works and how it communicates with other devices
Hardware Needs Software to Work
Hardware
Physical components of the computer (monitor, keyboard, memory chips, hard drive) Set of instructions that directs hardware to accomplish a task
Software
Functions of the Microcomputer
Binary Number System
Technology of storing and reading only two
values: on and off Bits and bytes Originated in the 1940s by John Atanasoff
Binary Number System
Binary Number System
PC Hardware Components
Input/output devices: outside computer case Processing and storage components: inside the
case Elements required by hardware devices to operate:
Method for CPU to communicate with it Software to instruct and control it Electricity to power it
Hardware Used for Input and Output
Connects to computer case by ports Most popular input devices:
Keyboard Mouse
Most popular output devices:
Monitor Printer
Ports
Input Devices
Output Devices
Hardware Inside the Case
Motherboard (contains CPU, memory, etc.) Floppy drive, hard drive, and CD-ROM drive
(permanent storage) Power supply with cords supplying electricity to all devices inside the case
continued
Hardware Inside the Case
Circuit boards (used by CPU to communicate with devices inside/outside the case)
Contain microchips, which are most often manufactured using CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) technology
Cables that connect devices to circuit boards and the motherboard
Data cables Power cables (or power cords)
Peripheral Devices
Communicate with CPU but are not located
directly on the motherboard Some are linked by expansion cards in expansion slots on the motherboard
The Motherboard
Largest, most important circuit board in the computer Contains the CPU, with which all devices must communicate:
Installed directly on the motherboard Linked by a cable connected to a port on the motherboard Indirectly linked by expansion cards
Also called the main board or system board
The Motherboard
Ports on a Motherboard
Major Components on All Motherboards
For processing:
CPU Chip set
RAM Cache memory Power supply connections
For communication with other devices:
For temporary storage:
Traces Expansion slots System clock
Electrical system:
Programming and setup data:
Flash ROM CMOS setup chip
The CPU
Most important chip (the microprocessor) Performs most of actual data processing
The Chip Set
Controls flow of data and instructions to and
from the CPU Provides careful timing of activities
The Chip Set
CPU and Chip Set Manufacturers
IBM-compatible PCs
Macintosh (Apple Computer, Inc.)
Intel Corporation AMD VIA SiS Cyrix
Motorola Corporation
Storage Devices
Temporary (primary storage, or memory)
Temporarily holds data and instructions while processing them Faster to access than permanent storage
Permanent (secondary storage)
Data and instructions must be copied into primary storage (RAM) for processing
Primary and Secondary Storage
Primary Storage Devices
Memory, or RAM, located on motherboard and other circuit boards
Volatile versus nonvolatile (or ROM) memory
Common types of boards that hold memory chips
SIMMs (single inline memory modules) DIMMs (dual inline memory modules) RIMMs (memory modules manufactured by Rambus, Inc.)
RAM Chips
Types of RAM Modules
Secondary Storage Devices
Hard disks Floppy disks Zip drives CD-ROMs DVDs
Hard Drive
Uses EIDE (Enhanced Integrated Drive Electronics) technology Motherboard can accommodate up to four IDE devices on one system IDE provides two connectors on a motherboard for two data cables
Motherboard with Connectors
A Typical System
Hard Drives Power Supply
Floppy Drive Cable
Floppy Drive Connection
CD-ROM Drive
Motherboard Components Used for Communication Among Devices
The bus
System of pathways used for communication and the protocol and methods used for transmission Includes a data bus, address bus, and control bus
Bus Lines
Data Bus
System Clock
Synchronizes activity on the motherboard Sends continuous pulses over the bus that are
used by different components to control the pace of activity Frequency of activity is measured in MHz, or 1 million cycles per second
System Clock
Bus Lines
Lines of a bus, including data, instruction, and power lines, often extend to the expansion slots Types of expansion slots
PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect)
For high-speed input/output devices) For a video card
AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port)
ISA (Industry Standard Architecture)
Used by older and/or slower devices)
Bus Lines
Types of Expansion Slots
Interface (Expansion) Cards
Enable CPU to connect to external device or to
a network
Interface (Expansion) Cards
Full View of a Video Card
The Electrical System
Power supply
Most important component of computers electrical system Converts/reduces electricity to voltage the computer can handle Runs a fan directly from electrical output voltage to cool inside of computer case
Electrical System
Electrical System
Instructions and Data Stored on the Motherboard
ROM BIOS
Holds software needed to start up PC and begin loading an OS Most are flash ROM Stores setup (configuration) information
CMOS chip
Setup information can also be set by means of jumpers and DIP (dual inline package) switches
Powered by a battery on motherboard when power is off
ROM BIOS Chip
ROM BIOS Chip
CMOS Chip
Using Jumpers
DIP Switches
How a CPU Works and Communicates with Other Devices
Responsible for most processing Depends on chip set, system clock, and buses
to move data to and from I/O devices, memory, and secondary storage Only two states: on and off
Components of a CPU
Input/output (I/O) unit
Manages data/instructions entering/leaving CPU
Does all comparisons and calculations Manages all activities inside CPU itself
One or more arithmetic logic units (ALU)
Control unit
Components of a CPU
How the CPU Works
Registers hold data and instructions while it
processes them Memory cache holds data and instructions just before they are processed Internal bus runs at different speed than external bus
How the CPU Uses Memory
CPU accesses memory by way of the data bus
How CPU and Devices Use System Bus to Communicate
The Address Bus
The Control Bus
System clock control line
Provides timing for motherboard components
Used by devices to get CPUs attention; assigned at startup How to use address on address bus (read or write operation) How to use address lines (memory addresses or I/O addresses)
Interrupt request (IRQ) lines Read/write control lines I/O control lines
Interrupt Request (IRQ) Lines
I/O Control Lines
Understanding Binary
With computers, everything is binary; every
process is a series of zeros and ones Decimal and hexadecimal notations are two shorthand ways of displaying binary numbers
Understanding Binary
Hexadecimal notation (hex)
ASCII (American Standard Code for
Information Interchange) standard
Shorthand way to display long binary numbers; easier for humans to understand Built on multiples of sixteen
Has assigned an 8-bit code for letters, symbols, and other characters
Chapter Summary
An introduction to the inside of the computer Initial insight into how hardware components
of a computer system work How a CPU works and communicates with other devices Understanding binary
